By Rachel
Park Pride has named Michael Halicki as the nonprofit’s new executive director. With an 18-year career in communications, public policy, and nonprofit management, Halicki is an experienced leader in Georgia’s nonprofit environmental community. Halicki will use his expertise to lead the Park Pride team to improve parks in Atlanta and DeKalb County.
“Michael’s experience with sustainability issues and nonprofit management, along with his stellar reputation in our community, makes him the perfect leader for Park Pride as we prepare for our 25th anniversary in 2014,” said Matt Gove, Park Pride’s board president. “We are lucky to have him and are confident Michael will drive a real and sustained impact on the state of parks in Atlanta and DeKalb.”
Halicki comes to Park Pride from Southface, an Atlanta-based nonprofit supporting green building and sustainable design, where he served as the organization’s first chief operating officer. He led their strategic planning efforts and establishing organizational policies that directly contributed to the nonprofit’s growth. He also acted as host of the Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable, a monthly forum in Atlanta that encourages dialogue on a wide range of sustainability-related topics.
Prior to Southface, Halicki held senior leadership roles for two well-known Georgia-based environmental nonprofits, the Clean Air Campaign and the Georgia Conservancy, and worked as a senior consultant at Ahmann, a public policy communications firm. John Ahmann, owner of the organization, said of Halicki, “He combines deep passion, a strong work ethic, keen analytical abilities, a highly collaborative manner, and an ability to communicate to get things done. I have no doubt that Park Pride will benefit from Michael’s leadership.”
Halicki earned his graduate degree in nonprofit management from Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. He is a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute and is currently a member of 2013 Class of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership.
“I am excited to join the exceptional staff, board, and volunteers of Park Pride,” said Mr Halicki. “Working together, we will give new meaning to Park Pride’s call for more and better parks.”
About Park Pride:
Founded in 1989, Park Pride is the only organization that works with communities all over Atlanta and DeKalb County to improve their parks. The nonprofit engages communities through volunteer projects, community gardens, community-led park redesigns, and by receiving grants for their parks. Park Pride is active in greenspace advocacy and the education of both civic leaders and the general public about the benefits of parks. The organization also hosts the Annual Parks and Greenspace Conference, which attracts professionals and park advocates from across the United States and will be held on Monday, March 31, 2014. Learn more about Park Pride at www.parkpride.org.
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